Got brandy? Brandy drinks are some of the most classic cocktails of all! This historic liquor features in everything from the tangy Sidecar to the boozy Sazerac. While vodka and gin are more popular today, there’s always a place for brandy at the table. Here are all the best brandy cocktails to try, from creamy and sweet to boozy and dry. Each of these drinks uses various types of brandy: some you can choose your own, or others specify Cognac (French style) or Pisco (Peruvian style). Read more about types of brandy below…or let’s get mixing!
And now…the top brandy drinks and cocktails to try!
Types of brandy
Brandy is a liquor made from distilling wine or other fruit, like apples or apricot. There are several major types of brandy that feature in the drinks below, including: Ingredients: Brandy, creme de cacao, heavy cream Ingredients: Brandy, sugar, Angostura bitters, lemon lime soda Ingredients: Cognac or other brandy, Cointreau, lemon juice Ingredients: Whole milk, brandy, bourbon, simple syrup, vanilla Ingredients: Brandy or Cognac. Cointreau or triple sec, Maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters Ingredients: Brandy, white rum, Cointreau or triple sec, lemon juice Ingredients: Brandy or Cognac, sweet red vermouth, Angostura bitters Ingredients: Cognac, amaretto Ingredients: Cognac, rye whiskey, Peychaud’s bitters, sugar, absinthe Ingredients: Rye whiskey, Cognac, Sweet red vermouth, Benedictine, Peychaud bitters, Angostura bitters Ingredients: Brandy or Cognac, orgeat syrup, lemon juice (optional), bitters Ingredients: Brandy, hot water, honey, lemon Ingredients: Cognac, creme de menthe Ingredients: Cognac (Hennessy or other), tequila reposado, lime juice, Cointreau Ingredients: Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, egg white
Cognac, a French brandy that tastes spicy, fruity, and bitter, with notes of vanilla and oak. A popular type of Cognac is Hennessy. Armagnac, a more full-flavored, richer French brandy, with notes of dark caramel, chocolate and burnt orange Calvados, an apple or pear brandy made in France Brandy de Jerez, Spanish brandy that tastes dry and smooth, with notes of caramel, almond and vanilla American brandy, any type of brandy made in the US Pisco, a Peruvian brandy made of fermented grapes with a funky, earthy flavor. (It’s very different, so only use it in the Pisco Sour!)
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